Running and doing sports were the last things anyone would associate with Aimee Smith of old – she used to weigh 427 pounds and had difficulty moving about the apartment… Now she is a regular triathlon and 10K races competitor!
This change may seem something short of a miracle, and what’s more, there was nothing to forebode it. Smith, who hails from Janesville, Wisconsin, shared her remembrances of way back when with ABCNews, recounting that she had unceasing knee and back pains, and was in a pre-diabetic stage.
She realized the dangers of getting on like this and made up her mind to wage a war against her eating habits. It took her about two years to rearrange her life and say goodbye to some 200 pounds via gastric bypass surgery. What she is facing these days is championship, not diabetes.
The 44-year-old racer is getting ready for May’s marathon in Wisconsin, after which is scheduled an arduous Iron Man triathlon with a breathtaking 26.2-mile run, a 2.4-mile swim capped with a 112-mile bike ride.
The change was so drastic that her former classmates failed to recognize her sans her weight when she turned up for the 25th reunion. “They thought my husband was the one who was in their class!” chuckled Smith, explaining that she wasn’t considered eligible for the easiest athletic feat at school.
From the pinnacle of her achievements, Smith knows what to advice to those striving to begin to live healthy.
According to her, the main idea is to build up a new attitude to food – “start thinking of it as fuel rather than a friend you can rush to whenever you’re having an emotional problem,” is Smith’s key advice. Then, fruits and vegetables should be gone in for heavily. Smith went so far as to discover rather uncommon stuff like kale and collard greens of which she had had no idea they ever existed before.
Another piece of advice is to ignore “the big picture” – making headway is more important. A step or two at a time should come down fine, and then you can repeat it on the next day and feel that you are progressing slowly!
Smith confesses that she participates in the competitions without expecting to collect medals; moreover, at first she labored under alleged pressure that she would be looked down upon by the winners and professionals. However, in that she was mistaken.
Instead of snobbery the heavyweight was met with understanding and – in her own words – compassion. They appreciated her determination and stamina and showed her they were proud of her staying power, making Smith doubly happy with her new life.
Aimee Smith is a great inspiration for all women willing to drop weight and start living a healthier life.
